1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process cartridge which can detachably be mounted to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge can detachably be mounted.
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus serves to form an image on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming process. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus may include, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer and the like), an electrophotographic facsimile, an electrophotographic word processor and the like.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic image forming process, an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and process means acting on the photosensitive drum have been integrally incorporated into a cartridge unit to form a process cartridge which can detachably be mounted to a main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. According to this system, since the maintenance of the apparatus can be performed by an operator himself, operability is greatly improved. Thus, such a process cartridge has been widely used with the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
In such a process cartridge, a toner frame containing toner is integrally joined to a developing frame supporting a developing means at an interface. A sealing member sealing an opening portion of the toner frame is pulled out between the toner frame and the developing frame. As a result, the toner can be sent to the developing frame. Further, after the sealing member is pulled out, in order to prevent the toner from leaking through the interface, a seal member is provided between the toner frame and the developing frame.
The present invention relates to an improvement in the prior art.